DIY Nightstands From An Art Deco Vanity

Disclaimer #1: This is not a unique idea. It is inspired by Mandy at Sugar Bee Crafts, only she used a desk and it required a lot more steps!

Disclaimer #2: As much as I like to think I'm crafty, I'm more of an idea girl. Luckily, my husband is pretty handy when it comes to implementing my brilliant ideas! 

So anyway, I've been looking for the perfect nightstands for our Minimalish Bedroom. I love Mid Century Modern furniture, but it's not so practical in the year 2012 and the age of the California King mattress. If I was a trendy interior designer, I'd insert some guide to scale when it comes to furniture.. but a designer, I am not. I'm just a girl engineer. I just know what I like and what I think looks good. I know that 23" tall night stands would be dwarfed by our big 'ol comfy bed.

Last Wednesday, I picked up this little gem at Precious Cargo in Fayetteville, AR for about $140.

A little sweat from moving the carseats to the front and putting the back seat down, and it fit in my car! My little VW Golf is like a Transformer! It's an around-town-grocery-getter, long trip gas saver (44 mpg!!) and a TRUCK.

I was sorta' dreading this. I had big ideas for how to make two nightstands, but I'm a wimp when it comes to DIY... little did I know, my husband was giddy to take a hammer to it!

He filled in the peeling veneer as well as the parts that were wounded in the deconstruction process with a little Bondo (I could hear Tim-the-Toolman-Taylor grunts through the walls) and drilled a hole in the back to make the top drawer an iPad/iPhone/Nook charging station.

He sanded it a few times, added two coats of primer, and a coat of glossy gray spray paint.

... and voila, 

for about $160 total materials, we have 2 nightstands! 

Here's a sneak peak of how they look in my Minimalish Bedroom.